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Nestled between two mountain ranges and framed by forests, Nellysford, Virginia is positioned about 70 miles west of Richmond and 110 miles southwest of Washington, DC. Among the many rolling hills of the Rockfish Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this laid again city can also be residence to one of many state’s hidden gems, Primary Requirements, a charming restaurant that blends conventional Southern hospitality with French type. For me, these are indisputably, fundamental requirements.
Simply this final weekend, my group of 9 associates who met on the College of Richmond as freshmen and have nurtured our friendship for many years, gathered at an exquisite, spacious residence at Wintergreen Resort. After wine tasting, taking part in board video games, finishing puzzles, making s’mores on the firepit, noshing what gave the impression to be a vast quantity of scrumptious meals, laughing incessantly and having fun with unending conversations, we spent our final night eating at Primary Requirements, a couple of 25-minute drive.
Photograph Credit score: Primary Requirements
The small, unassuming exterior of Primary Requirements belies the attraction and French aptitude that had been inside. The cooler on the entry boasts a shocking array of imported cheeses from across the globe. Native honey, jams, preserves, books, items, breads, and extra line the cabinets and tables of the quaint anteroom. As we walked to our desk, I glanced on the small however fascinating wine room that gives a myriad of selections from all areas of France in addition to these, in lesser portions, from different nations. Handwritten notes in regards to the wines or areas are taped to the cabinets as a way to supply visitors extra perception into their selections. Like magic, I felt at residence.
Our group sat within the final room, a comfy spot with fewer than 10 tables. Classic furnishings, vintage prints, Provence type window coverings and chandeliers set the stage for French impressed tablescapes with recent flowers, bistro cutlery and material napkins. Primary Requirements seems to have been plucked out of Paris’ 4th arrondissement and positioned in Nellysford, Virginia!
How did Primary Requirements start? When proprietor Kay Pfaltz returned from Virginia after spending 10 years in Paris, she settled in Nellysford. As she explains, there was no “good bread, wine, cheese or chocolate, the essential requirements of life” on this small city. Now, Kay Pfaltz has shared her information of French wines and cheeses with co-owners Sallie Justice, Mae Collins Tyree, and cooks Angela Faris and Vera Miller. The result’s Primary Requirements, a peaceable and enjoyable spot for gathering with associates or household and indulging in excellent meals and wine.
Primary Requirements celebrates the European mentality which locations worth on considerate meals preparation, dialog and rest. “La desk” in French signifies a lot extra than simply “the desk,” or dinner desk. It means a spot the place household and associates can eat, drink, discuss and simply be collectively for hours over a easy and recent meal.
In some ways we subscribe to the philosophy of the “Gradual Meals Motion” since we opened in June of 1997. We try to make use of native, seasonal and pesticide-free farm merchandise, sourcing seasonal produce from native farms corresponding to Blue Heron Farm, Little Hat Creek Farm, Whisper Hill Farm and Edible Landscaping. Primary Requirements can also be dedicated to serving free-range, humanely-treated meat, sourced from cautious farmers at locations corresponding to River Oak Farm and Double H Farm.
We consider in meals constituted of scratch. Our dinners take a bit longer, however sit again, calm down, and breath deeply a couple of occasions. You’ll really feel your self slowing down and be grateful. Have some wine and bread, and we’ll current you with fantastically ready meals. We don’t flip tables so we gained’t kick you out. Until it’s previous our bedtimes, and in that case, we would hand you the keys. Primary Requirements
Photograph Credit score: Primary Requirements
After we discovered our desk, co-owner Sallie Justice greeted the group. Plainly she and one in all our associates within the group knew one another from highschool in Franklin, Virginia! Sallie additionally knew the husband of one other of our group from Greensboro, North Carolina. With small-world Southern hospitality instantly on stage, we had been impressed to take a look at the menu.
Our dinner was one to recollect. For 4 of us, Wester Ross Salmon (natural from Scotland) with Honey Dijon had our identify on it. Others had the Pan-Seared Pork Chops (pasture raised on Double H Farm) with Bourbon Cream Sauce or Butternut and Sausage Baked Pasta with native natural kale. The flavorful salmon was tender and cooked to my liking, accolades had been heard in regards to the mouthwatering pork chops with sauce, and by all accounts, the pasta dish was savory and textured.
In fact, the wines stored flowing all through the meal. 2022 Thevenet & Fils Saint-Veran Clos de L’Ermitage – Saint Claude Vielles Vignes was aged in tank – no oak. Solely 1000 circumstances had been produced of this notable wine of Chardonnay from Bourgogne. With depth and breadth in each sip, I beloved the balanced mouthfeel, notes of fruit and white florals and its crisp end with mineral notes. 2023 Jean Reverdy et Fils La Reine Blanche Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre) revealed delicate but vibrant acidity, white fruit and florals resulting in a lingering end – scrumptious. 2020 Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir from California was savory with mint and toffee aromas. On the palate, flavors of cherries and herbs had been framed with average tannins and acidity. Sips had been a lush complement to each salmon, pork and pasta dishes. Every wine was effectively priced and sure, we requested for a couple of bottle!
In the event you suppose I’m waxing poetic about Primary Requirements, you’re proper. And people in our group felt the identical. One pal remarked, “The European ambiance was informal, heat and welcoming. The meals and wine had been curated with a aware eye for farm to desk simplicity and style. Sallie and workforce…bravo!” One other shared, “To my delight, it was precisely what I had hoped for with my dearest faculty associates. Fantastic meals and wine with an method to eating whereas having fun with your occasion with no hurry enhanced the easy pleasures of consuming and consuming collectively. We couldn’t have requested for a extra real expertise.”
If you’re in your solution to Wintergreen Resort, for those who reside within the Charlottesville metro space, or once you’re simply passing by means of the area, make a cease at Primary Requirements for a luscious meal and extraordinary wines. What’s to not love about Southern hospitality and French aptitude? They’re fundamental requirements!
Cheers! ~ Cindy
For extra Grape Experiences, your free infographic “4 Keys to a Stellar Wine Decide” and a coupon code in the direction of your buy of my on-line course “Uncover the Necessities of Wine (and select it like a professional!)” click on right here.
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